Bruin-Led Team USA Claims FINA Gold
June 11, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
SHANGHAI, China -- The USA Water Polo Women's Senior National Team claimed gold at the FINA World League Super Final for the fourth consecutive time, as it defeated Canada by a 12-6 score Sunday. UCLA Athletics Hall of Famer Adam Krikorian led the team, which featured Bruins Rachel Fattal, Maddie Musselman and Alys Williams.
The gold-medal contest was nip and tuck throughout the first half. With the Americans clinging to a 3-2 lead in the second quarter, Musselman netted her first of the day to place a small cushion between the North American neighbors. Then, to open scoring in the second half, the Newport Beach, Calif. native added her second to push the advantage to 7-4. Canada capitalized on a six-on-five opportunity to answer, but the Americans scored five of the game's final six goals to cap the six-game, six-day event.
Group play began for the Americans on June 6, when they jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Netherlands before hanging on for a 6-4 win. A day later, Team USA had a much easier go of it in a 17-4 win over Japan that saw nine Americans find the back of the net. Williams led the way with three goals, while Musselman added one.
The group-play finale between the US and Russia saw the teams combine for 11 second-quarter goals, as the Americans held a 10-8 lead after 16 minutes of play. The Russians took their first lead at 4:09 of the fourth, but consecutive American goals gave Team USA a 13-12 win and the top spot in Group A. All three Bruins converted, as Fattal scored twice and Musselman and Williams each added one.
The quarterfinal match against Australia presented the American Bruins a familiar face across the pool in Bronte Halligan. Coming off her freshman season with UCLA, Halligan scored two goals against Team USA, but that was nowhere near enough, as the Americans took a 13-4 win into the semifinals. Fattal scored three goals in the win, while Musselman added another.
Bruins accounted for five of the eight American goals in the semifinal, as Team USA doubled up Hungary, 8-4. Musselman led the way with three goals, while Fattal and Williams each scored one.
Team USA previously claimed gold just over 40 miles west of Shanghai at the Kunshan Cup in Kunshan, China. Without Fattal, who was attending the Peter J. Cutino Award ceremony in San Francisco, Team USA had close calls in its first and last contests. To begin play on May 29, the USA Women squeezed past the Netherlands, 11-10, thanks in large part to a Musselman hat trick.
The United States won its next four by a combined 53-12 margin to advance to the gold-medal contest, where it faced a stiff test from Greece. The Americans trailed 7-4 after three quarters of the June 3 final, but rallied to force a shootout, which it dominated to secure an 11-8 victory. Musselman again led the way with four goals.
Next up for Team USA is a trip to Budapest, Hungary for the FINA World Championships. Due to last summer's Rio Olympics, this will be the Americans' first appearance in the tournament since 2015, when they defeated the Netherlands, 5-4, in Kazan, Russia. The US will take on South Africa on July 16 in its first game. The championships will continue through July 28.
